The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-04-01
AT THE SEAS MERCY.
Driven Through the Storm on a
Grinding Iceberg.

We were due south of Cape Horn,
and about one hundred miles from land
(says Peter Nelson, an old whaler,)
when the wind died away on us one
morning and left us heaving on
heavy swell, with five or six big ice
bergs in full view. The calm came
about ten o'clock in the morning, and
at that time the nearest berg, which
will venture to say covered rs much
space as village of two thousand in
habitants, was four miles off. Before
noon we had drifted toward each other
until we were two miles apart; but
then the same current seemed to catch
us, and we dTifted away to the west in
company, neither increasing nor lessen
ing the two miles distance. The day
was raw and chilly, though the sun
shOne brightly, and the air was so clear
that the men on our decks soon made
out some animals moving on the berg.
1t had swung around a bit, showing a
new face, and when the captain had
taken a look with his glass he informed
us that he could make out two polar
bears and several small animals, which
he believed to be Arctic foxes. We had
been without fresh meat for many
months, and an appeal was made for
one of the boats TO be permitted to go
off and kill the bears The weather
had a steady look, and after some hest
tation the captain, permitted the third
mate to take four men and pull of.
The name of the mate was Mr.. Wharton
and the men were George Smith,
George Olson, Bill Green and myself.
We took along muskets and harpOOns,
and pulled away, rejoicing that we
were to have an adventure.
There was but little field ice. and we
had no difficulty in avoiding the Occa-
sional great cakes and pieces broken
from the bergs. We pulled with such
II will that we were soon up to the berg,
and it did not take us long to find out
that the captain was right. On sort
of shelf thirty or forty feet above the
water we discovered the bears, but as
soon as they noted our presence they
scampcred along the shelf until hidden
behind projection. If you never saw
an iceberg it will be hard to make you
understand just what they are. This
one stood up one hundred and fifty feet
out of water at its highest point. The
surface was cut up into ravines, hills,
towers, and all sorts of inequalities,
and these inequalities extended down
and along every side. There were a
dozen places where the sun was melting
the ice so that streams of water were
trickling down, and the waves were
breaking along one whole side and
throwing spray fifteen feet high.
presume some Of the lady passengers
on an ocean steamer passing two OF
three miles away might have called it a
grand sight, but as we reached the base
of the berg it seemed to us to be about
as ugly an object as the sea could bear
up. We were on the lee side, OF
course, and as the bears scampered
along we pursued until we found theiI
further progress stopped by high
cliff, up which nothing could make its
way. We could come up within hall
pistol shot, and the mate and Smith
were good shots with the musket
How far the bears had been carried on
the berg, or how long they had beer
afloat, il was Of course impossible tC
tell; but the mate figured from the
wear and tear of the big lump of ice
that it had been weeks at sea. At any
rate, the bears seemed greatly ratified
at the sight of us, shrinking against tho
wall and whining like dogs as soon a:
fire was opened. They were both down
after seven or eight shots.
You will mind that the ship was e
windward of the berg and two mile,
away. We had pulled around to tn,
lee side, and were consequently out o.
sight of the vessel We had downeC
the bears and were looking for a plac,
to make the boat fast in order 10 get a
the carcasses, when, as suddenly as i
you had clapped blanket over it, the
sun was obscured, there was a sharI
puff Of wind, and next moment i
was showing as it only SHOWS of
dreary Cape Horn at the right season
of the year. The whole heavens
were overspread in no time, anC
we could not see the water twenty fee
away. The ship had seen the squat
gathering and fired guns for us befor